Love = Obedience

Our text this week was John 21:1-19 and there are some great lessons in it.  When Jesus restores Peter, he asks him three times if he loves him.  After each of Peter's responses, Jesus gives him a task to perform - feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep - that is clearly linked to Peter's love for Jesus.  It is strikingly similar to the three denials of Christ that Peter uttered during Christ's Passion.

It follows on a theme from John 14 where Jesus told Judas:
²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Too often in this life we equate words with faith.  We confess that we believe certain things, but our lives do not show evidence of that faith.  We are caught in a trap where we have orthodoxy - right beliefs but we do not have orthopraxis - right actions- in our life.  We talk a good game, but like Peter, when the rubber hits the road, we fail.  We fail to do that which we claim to believe.  We fail to be the hands and feet of Christ.  We fail to avoid the sins that ensnare us.  We fail to do that which Christ has commanded us:

Great Commission

Great Commandment

Good Samaritan

This is a year to put actions to our words.  A year to be the people we are called to be.  We no longer have a privileged position in society.  We have to go out and earn that position by our actions that show the love of Christ to a hurting world.  

Let's be that people.

Saying goodbye to a good and Godly man

This week we will lay to rest Rev. Gerald Walworth, a pastor for more than 50 years, and a good man.  Jerry was my friend, my mentor, my congregant all wrapped up in one joke-telling, people-loving, and church-loving bundle

As a first-time solo pastor, one could view having your predecessor still in your congregation to be a challenge.  Jerry and Jean never made it an issue.  He had retired after serving the Hobart congregation for 37 years, and he was retired.  He was also battling the disease that ultimately claimed his life.

In the 2 years I knew him, I was able to laugh, cry, tell jokes, and run ideas past him.  I valued his counsel on things in the church and in the town.  I also appreciated having someone to talk to about ministry.  Being a solo pastor is hard because you have to work to find people with whom you can share some of your ideas, fears, burdens and frustration.  Jerry had already been there, done that and had a couple of T-shirts to prove it.

Jerry, you fought the good fight and made a difference in the lives of many.  Well done good and faithful servant.  I will miss you.

Pat Robertson has done it again

Pat Robertson and Joe Biden suffer from the same disease - terminal foot in mouth - because more often than not they end up regretting opening their mouths to speak in public.

This one just makes me cringe and shake my head at the same time.

So dating a woman who has adopted children internationally is akin to taking on the United Nations?  Will someone at CBN please tell the emperor that he has no clothes?  And then take his microphone away?

As Kenny Rogers said, you have "know when to walk away..."

Political Chicken

This week has been interesting to say the least with the Chick-Fil-A controversy.  I know the Hobart location was crazy busy all day long, and it was almost a rally atmosphere.  People would cheer in line, cars would honk in support, which elicited more cheers.  Then the rhythmic clapping started and it reminded me of waiting in line to ride the Beast at midnight at Kings Island near Cincinnati.

What I find interesting about all of this is the way certain folks reacted to a private citizen saying the same thing that President Clinton said when he signed the Defense of Marriage Act in the 1990s.  President Obama also espoused the same view when he was campaigning in 2008.

It is interesting that Rahm Emanuel, the mayor of Boston, and Chicago aldermen did not attack candidate Obama they way they have attacked Dan Cathy for espousing his views on marriage.

In my opinion, this is a battle that is going to go on for a long time, just like abortion has.  It will raise millions of dollars on both sides, and little will be done to resolve the issue in the political arena.  What needs to be done is for the church focus on teaching what the Bible says in a POSITIVE manner and not engage in Westboro Baptist tactics that do not show the love of Christ in any way.

If we are going to change the culture, we are going to have to be the shining city on the hill that calls people to seek forgiveness and grace as they repent of behaviors that are sinful.  That is what the First Century church did, and it changed the very corrupt and highly-sexualized Roman culture over time.  The church needs to be the church and remain a voice that can speak to all parties in politics.  It's hard to watch your country go down some of the paths it has chosen, but God is not an American, and not all Americans recognize God's authority.  That is an unfortunate reality.

Heaven and Earth

This article really sums up nicely the idea that heaven isn't our focus of the Christian life.  Doing the will of God and living in communion with Him is our focus.  As you read it remember that a new heaven and a new earth are coming (Revelation 21).  I suspect that we will be living with God there, and I look forward to what that work entails

Jesus and me, Jerry Sandusky and (Un) Happy Valley

If we ever needed another reminder that our sin affects more than just us, just look at Penn State University. The sins of a few men in leadership have injured many who had nothing to do with the actions there, and had no idea it was happening.

Some of those injured include:

The players who cannot play in bowls through no fault of their own

The victims of Mr. Sandusky

The people who idolized Paterno and PSU

The non-revenue sports at PSU who may see a reduction in funding given the reduction in $$ from the football program

And the list goes on and on.

 It is a good moment for us to remember that our sin can potentially affect many around us. And that is why God's grace is there to help us overcome the power of sin and death. We are called to live in community, not as Lone Rangers. Our actions, however big or small, affect others whether we want to admit it or not.
 
Lord make it so.

Helping your pastor

I know last month was Pastor Appreciation Month, but let me offer another idea for all of you who want to help your pastor.  Pray that he/she will find a good friend and confidant in whom they can talk and be honest.  It's hard to do that with parishioners, and most pastors don't want to bring the church "stuff" home to their spouse and weigh them down with it.

Pray for a Godly friend to come alongside your pastor so that he/she can have someone they trust to confide in.  It makes a huge difference in the lives of clergy members.

Communion

I have never understood the devotion some people have to the plasticized wafers that pass as communion bread in so many churches.  There are times, such as large General Assembly-type gatherings where it makes sense. But for the typical church of less than 100 congregants, why  on earth would you use the chiclet-type bread instead of baking a real loaf of unleavened bread and cutting it up?

I just don't get it.

Happy Birthday to the King James Version of the Bible

Here is a nice, brief history of the King James version.  It's worth a listen.

I guess I should prepare for this

They have figured out something that even Jesus didn't know.  I guess I will hold next month's mortgage payment.


I don't know how to reconcile this with "“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…” [Mark 13:21]"


But it must be true.  I saw it on the internet.

A shaming book and television show

This article speaks about one of the sins of the church that goes largely unpunished and most practitioners of it are unrepentant.

GOSSIP

It is no wonder that the secular media believes that Christians are fair game.  We provide them with both the target and the ammunition.  And we wonder why they take shots at us?

Why are we punishing the poor and middle class here?

This article has a good take on the current energy policy of the United States.  Interestingly, the author is a Democrat who is taking the current administration to task for their tightened regulations on deep water drilling.  The rise in energy prices punishes those at the bottom of the economic ladder the hardest, since they have the least amount of flexibility in their budget to deal with sudden spikes in gas prices.

I really don't understand why we are refusing to harvest our own resources and insist on importing oil from countries that do not have our best interest at heart.  I'm sure this will be a presidential campaign issue,

Things I love about Kansas City

Over the weekend I was in Kansas City for the commencement exercises at Nazarene Theological Seminary, where I received my Master of Divinity degree. Kansas City is a neat city with a lot going for it. Here is my list of things that I love about Kansas City

10. McGonigles Market on Ward Parkway - Good BBQ and meat at reasonable prices

9. The friendly folks and open air feeling of the city.

8. Smokestack BBQ.

7. Christ Church Anglican - I went there for my worship class and was hooked.

6. Jacob's Well - same story. I love the evening worship there.

5. The faculty at Nazarene Theological Seminary - they made me feel like a part of the community even though I as an in-service student.

4. Jack's Stack BBQ - fine dining and BBQ. What more could you ask for?

Country Club Plaza

3. Country Club Plaza in downtown Kansas City. It is a wonderful mixture of shopping, dining and scenery that I truly enjoyed.

2. Oklahoma Joe's BBQ- great BBQ served in a gas station. Need I say more?

1. Nazarene Theological Seminary - I am a bit wistful thinking about completion of my degree. I made some great friends there and greatly enjoyed the interaction with students and faculty. I will honestly miss being there.

This is a merger well worth considering

As a former member of the Wesleyan Church and a current member of the Church of the Nazarene clergy, I would love to see this idea explored in great depth. I know there are some governance issues, and some college overlap issues, but it is worth a look.

A tax on people who are bad at math

Yep. he got that one right

Mixed emotions

Osama Bin Laden is dead. I heard that news right before I went to bed last night. It caught me

by surprise and created a number of conflicting thoughts and emotions. My first visceral reaction was to celebrate. The man who ordered the murder of thousands of Americans is dead. He finally got what was coming to him. And that is true.

I also wondered if this will trip some wire in the Al Qaeda organization that will bring on a new series of attacks set in place in the event of his death. Do we really want to go through that again? Endless lines at the airports. Gas prices climbing through the roof (even more than they already have).

As a Christian, I find the conflicting emotions to be more troubling. I don't think we should celebrate the death of one of God's children. But I do understand the reaction of those who have lost loved ones in the attacks and ensuing wars who may be finding relief, closure, and even some joy in this event. The advent of terrorism is just a reminder of how fallen our world is and how we need to continually say "Come Lord Jesus Come" in our own hearts and minds as well in the world around us.

Bin Laden is gone. I pray that this marks the unwinding of the terrorism activity that has dominated our country's thoughts for the past 10 years. I hope it does, but I suspect the battle will go on.

NY Daily News

NazNet Discussion

Fox News Headline

More on why we flagellate ourselves

Why do Christians naturally assume the worst about ourselves? Read this article. It is an eye opener.

Future NFL Halftime Acts

Since the NFL has decided to use AARP members for its halftime shows at the Superbowl, you might hear some of these songs in the future.

Why do we like to think the worst about ourselves?

What is it about American Christians that causes us to think the worst about ourselves?  Do we have some kind of innate inferiority complex that causes us to believe any statistic that comes down the pike if it expresses a negative view of Christianity?

Take a look at this piece in Christianity Today.  The author makes a valid point that the statistics we love to go around quoting are all negative statistics, and many of them are flat out misleading if not fabricated falsehoods. I remember sitting in a meeting watching a video of a prominent teen evangelist who was breathlessly telling us that only 4% of American kids will be Christians in the next generation.  I leaned over to the pastor sitting next to me and said "I know how to lie with statistics too" and we both smiled.  That number comes from an informal survey (read nonscientific) done by a seminary professor more than 10 years ago with a sample size of just over 200 people.  More on that here.   Yet people keep running around repeating it as if it were inscribed on stone tablets found found on Mt. Sinai.  It's wrong people!  Get over it!  Stop repeating the lie.!


Maybe Christians should try this form of therapy.



Let's try something new for a while.  Let's only say positive things about the church that are true.  Let's declare a fast from criticalness.  Let's speak positively about the Body of Christ, and see if it becomes more attractive to people.  How about that for a change.

I realize this will crimp the fundraising plans of many who make their living out of scaring Christians into thinking they are under siege.  But this too shall pass.  And the world may just be a better place afterward.

It's worth a shot, don't you think?

Memorial Day

Take a look at this clip and remember those who gave all for our country.  I tear up every time I watch it, specifically at the scenes of soldiers loading into their landing crafts.  It reminds me of my dad, who was a landing craft driver during the Normandy invasion.  I cannot imagine the terror, the chaos, or the valor required to do that job.  Those were amazing men.

The other scene that just tears me up is the two WWII vets in the cemetery, one missing part of a leg.  I can't imagine standing there where brave young men who you went through training with are buried.  Why did you live and they die?  Fate?  Luck?  Divine intervention?  We may never know.

Watch the clip and remember those who gave all for our freedom.